As one of the terminally online, I really enjoyed the recent “how often men think about the Roman Empire” discourse on Twitter. One response that went viral claimed that the female equivalent of thinking about the Roman Empire is thinking about your ex-best friend, and after a recent friendship breakup and also tearing through Jesse Q. Sutanto’s twisty new psychological thriller, I’m Not Done With You Yet, in which a woman reunites with her MFA-era frenemy, ready for a reckoning—and some new inspiration. After several shocking reversals, Sutanto’s novel ends with a wicked, perfect, final twist. I can’t recommend it enough. Thanks to Jesse for allowing me to ask her a few questions about her latest book and her incredibly diverse and charming oeuvre.
What did you want to explore about toxic friendships? They don’t get nearly as much attention in society as toxic romance! Why do you think that is?
I think everyone probably has had experience with toxic friendships and I feel like when I’ve had them, they’ve always brought out the absolute worst in me, so I was very keen to explore that. I think friendships in general don’t get as much attention as romance in society, which is sad because friendships are such a vital part of our lives.
Inspiration is tricky, as your character finds out. What were you thinking about the writing process when you put down your main character’s struggles to find her spark?
My writing is very much affected by my own mental health. When I’m feeling down, I find it really hard to write, and so it was very natural to me to extend that to my main character, especially since she is missing her muse.
You write delightful novels across multiple genres. How does writing a dark thriller compare to writing a comical cozy?
I love writing these different genres so much! After writing something lighthearted, I often feel: “Okay, now I’m ready for something dark.” And I can tell you for sure that after I wrote I’m Not Done With You Yet, I was like, “PHEW. Okay, time for some lighthearted romcom!”
I’ve really enjoyed your writing for young audiences. Do you think about the writing process differently when you’re crafting a YA novel?
I don’t! I just think about what sort of boundaries a teen might have (for example, they’d be bound to school rules, family rules etc) and those generally guide my writing.
Your plotting is so tight and well thought out—are you an outliner, or do you write by the seat of your pants?
I used to be a pantser, but I am now a meticulous outliner because I really didn’t like writing myself into corners and then having to rewrite massive chunks of my novel. So now, before I write, I actually have two different documents to guide me: A chapter by chapter outline and a smooth-flowing synopsis. My characters are very well-behaved because they know I won’t hesitate to kill them if they dare stray from the outline. Mwahaha!
What do you think are the biggest issues facing the mystery community today?
Probably attention span, which is affecting every genre. I myself am guilty of this. I’ll be like, “Okay, time to read!” and then before I know it I’ve spent my precious reading time scrolling through TikTok. It’s terrible!
What’s next on the horizon?
Well, I recently finished a love story which I am SO excited about. It won’t be out until 2025 though, waaah! But up next is my YA romcom, Didn’t See That Coming, and after that will be the third and final book in the Dial A series, The Good, The Bad, and The Aunties!
